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Author:
Isabel
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These simple yet flavorful chicken tacos are easy to make and filled with super juicy and delicious chicken! Perfect for weeknight meals and makes great leftovers!
If there’s a recipe that I make at least once a week, it’s definitely these easy chicken tacos!
Hands down, without a doubt, some version of this chicken taco recipe is on my plate every week. I also love to use this chicken for burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, taco salads or cheesy nachos.
This is one of my most popular recipes and a personal favorite of mine. Here’s how you make THE BEST chicken tacos ever!
What cut of chicken do you recommend for chicken tacos?
For the juiciest chicken tacos that you can make easily and quickly at home, I highly recommend using chicken thighs. They have a good white meat to dark meat ratio, which makes them a little fattier than chicken breasts and way more moist and tender.
To cut down on excess fat, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
The best part about these chicken tacos is that you only need to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!
Chicken Taco Marinade
The marinade is made with olive oil, white wine vinegar and dried spices that are common in most kitchens (onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder).
Once the marinade is mixed together, simply add the chicken thighs to the marinade, toss them together to coat, cover the marinated chicken and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
How to make chicken tacos
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken thighs to the skillet with tongs and cook 5-7 minutes per side, until fully cooked through. Discard the used marinade.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. While the chicken is resting, warm up the tortillas on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Topping Ideas
I served these tacos with some smashed avocado, red onion and fresh cilantro, but you can top them with your favorite toppings! Here are some more ideas for inspiration:
- diced avocados
- guacamole
- your favorite salsa
- sour cream
- pickled jalapenos
- pico de gallo
- crumbled queso fresco or shredded cheese
- shredded lettuce
- diced tomatoes
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
To store: Place the chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week
To freeze: Let the chicken cool completely in the fridge, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze.
To reheat: Microwave the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until full heated through. Alternatively, heat in a medium-hot skillet for 3-5 minutes until fully heated through.
More Taco Recipes
- Birria Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Salmon Tacos
- Black Bean Tacos
- Carnitas
4.73 from 409 votes
Easy Chicken Tacos
servings: 8 servings (3 tacos each)
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Prep: 40 minutes minutes
Cook: 15 minutes minutes
Total: 55 minutes minutes
The best chicken tacos made with a quick and easy marinade and cooked in a skillet. Great for fast weeknight meals!
Video
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder*
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
For the tacos
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 24 corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
- pico de gallo or your favorite salsa (optional)
- queso fresco or your favorite cheese (optional)
Instructions
In a large bowl, baking dish or freezer bag, add all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix together to fully combine.
Add chicken thighs to marinade and toss together to coat. Cover chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the skillet with tongs and cook 5-7 minutes per side, until fully cooked through. Discard the used marinade.
Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. While chicken is resting, warm up the corn tortillas on a hot griddle or in the microwave.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and serve in warm tortillas with salsa and cheese.
Notes
The longest I recommend marinating the chicken in the mixture is up to 2 hours. Since it’s made with lime juice and vinegar, the texture of the chicken can start to change if you leave it in any longer. If you want to prep it beforehand and let it marinate overnight, I recommend making the marinade without the vinegar and lime juice. Then 2 hours before cooking, you can add in those two ingredients.
*If you don’t have ancho chili powder, use more regular chili powder.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 3tacos, Calories: 352kcal (18%), Carbohydrates: 32g (11%), Protein: 25g (50%), Fat: 14g (22%), Saturated Fat: 2g (10%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 95mg (32%), Sodium: 565mg (24%), Potassium: 30mg (1%), Fiber: 5g (20%), Sugar: 4g (4%), Vitamin A: 150IU (3%), Vitamin C: 3.3mg (4%), Calcium: 40mg (4%), Iron: 2.3mg (13%)
Author: Isabel Orozco-Moore
Category: Mexican
Leave a Reply
Amy Kaiser
Delicious! This is exactly the taqueria chicken I’ve been trying to make. Best chicken tacos, we also used to make bowls.Reply
Walter
I baked them at 425 for 25 minutes. They were very large pieces. Great for fajita bowls. I would probably turn them once next time. The flavor was great but now I need to make or find more Ancho chile powder.Reply
Aaron
Excellent dishReply
Shirley I KRUG
Overall, very good recipe. Very lime forward. I would try it again with a 25% lime reduction.Reply
Ellie
The chicken is delicious! I have made it several times and it is always a hit. I substitute rice vinegar for white wine vinegar because I usually have rice vinegar on hand. I have not tried the recipe with ancho chili powder yet, I usually use more chili powder. We have eaten the chicken on its own, made burrito bowls with cilantro lime rice, and used it in a kind of southwest salad. Also, I have marinated it in full marinade in the fridge for at least 4 hours and maybe even up to 6 hours – it still came out super tasty and no issues with texture. Thank you so much for this recipe!Reply
Jodi
Thank you so much! The tacos came out fantastic. Super easy
Reply
Mindy
I have made these a few times, for family and a crowd. Each time they are gobbled up! It is now a family favorite! Easy five stars!
If I make the marinade ahead, I follow the instructions to leave out the lime juice and vinegar and add it a few hours before cooking the chicken. So so good! We have cooked them on the grill and the stove. Both ways are scrumptious.Reply
Carrie
I put the chicken in this marinade on Tuesday with the intention to cooking it Wednesday. With teenagers, dinner is a flexible time of day, and I let it go another day. So Thursday rolls around with it marinating for 48 hours and WOW!!! It. Is. Amazing!!!!Reply
Nina
Wow!! I just tried this recipe and it was fabulous!! I will definitely save the recipe and use it again and again. Thank you for sharing it!! I used a quick method since the only chicken that I had was pre-cooked grilled short cuts strips! Your recipe tastes just a good as the street tacos that I purchase from a local food truck.Reply
Mandie
Literally the best!!!!
When I got back from Mexico last year and spent everyday eat tacos I was determined to find a great recipe. This is it!! Chicken is packed with so much flavour. My kids love it, I generally make a large batch and then reheat or sometimes freeze some so I can quickly pull it out for easy meals in the week. We have this at least a couple times a month for the past year!!!
Reply
Ana @ Isabel Eats
Thank you Mandie!
Reply
Susana
The recipe “Easy Chicken Tacos” was SOOOO delicious. I have made and eaten a lot of tacos : ) and am pretty picky but this recipe is really good. I marinated the chicken for 1.5 hours. Love that you can actually taste the sauce / marinade after cooking. Many marinades disappear. We made “burrito bowls” with the chicken. A+Reply
Ana @ Isabel Eats
Thank you so much Susana!
Reply
Mike McKane
I’m learning Spanish words and recipes and so glad i stumbled onto your website!!
Reply
Sharon B
Very delicious and easy to make. I made the Borracho beans to go with the tacos. Will be back to visit your site often.Reply
Susan Pritchett
Amazing!!!Reply
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